Adjustable upper seatback module

ABSTRACT

A vehicle seating assembly has a seat having a lower seat and a seatback extending upwardly from the lower seat. The seatback has a lower stationary seatback base portion having a seatback frame assembly, and an upper movable seatback hood module vertically adjustable relative the lower stationary portion. The upper movable seatback hood module has an upper seatback slide bracket, and a plurality of rail guides slidably engaging a rail. An electric motor drive unit engages a driven member to vertically adjust the upper movable seatback hood module relative the lower stationary portion when the electric motor drive unit is actuated.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a vehicle seating assemblyfor a vehicle, and more particularly to a vehicle seating assemblyhaving an upper seatback module for the seatback assembly having anadjustable height.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Motor vehicle customers value and appreciate features that enhance theirdriving experience. In particular, consumers desire features that allowthe vehicle seating assembly to adapt to fit their individual body typesand sizes relative the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle,especially the motor vehicle controls. However, such features mustemploy designs that will accommodate the full range of occupant bodytypes and sizes. To date, the only height adjustment for occupants hasbeen to raise, lower, or tilt the entire total seat assembly and/orraise, lower, or tilt the headrest. Hence, a vehicle seating assemblywhich assists in providing additional adjustment would be advantageous.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention includes a vehicle seating assemblyfor a vehicle that assists in extending the seatback height to provideupper back support through the range of occupants.

Another aspect of the present invention includes a vehicle seatingassembly for a motor vehicle having a lower seat and a seatbackextending upwardly from the lower seat. The seatback comprises a lowerstationary seatback base portion, which further comprises a seatbackframe assembly, and an upper movable seatback hood module verticallyadjustable relative the lower stationary portion. The upper movableseatback hood module further comprises an upper seatback slide bracket,a plurality of rail guides mounted to one of the seatback frame assemblyor the upper seatback slide bracket and a rail mounted to the other ofthe seatback frame assembly or the upper seatback slide bracket, theplurality of rail guides slidably engaging the rail. An electric motordrive unit is mounted to one of the seatback frame assembly or the upperseatback slide bracket, and a driven member is mounted to the other ofthe seatback frame assembly or the upper seatback slide bracket, whereinthe electric motor drive unit engages the driven member to verticallyadjust the upper movable seatback hood module relative the lowerstationary portion when the electric motor drive unit is actuated.

Yet another aspect of the present invention includes a seatback for amotor vehicle comprising an upper hood vertically adjustable relative alower portion, a plurality of rail guides slidably engaging a rail, amotor mounted to a lower portion frame or an upper hood slide bracket,and a driven member mounted to the other of the lower portion frame orthe upper hood slide bracket, wherein the motor engages the drivenmember to vertically adjust the upper hood relative the lower portion.

A further aspect of the present invention includes a vehicle seatingassembly for a motor vehicle comprising lower seat and a seatbackextending upwardly from the lower seat. The seatback comprises a lowerseatback base portion supported by a seatback frame assembly, an uppermovable seatback hood module vertically adjustable relative the lowerportion supported by a front upper slide bracket in cooperation with arear upper seatback slide bracket, a plurality of rail guides mounted toone of the seatback frame assembly or the rear upper seatback slidebracket and a rail mounted to the other of the seatback frame assemblyor the rear upper seatback slide bracket, the plurality of rail guidesslidably engaging the rail. An electric motor drive unit is mounted onone of the seatback frame assembly or the rear upper seatback slidebracket, and operatively coupled with the other of the seatback frameassembly or the rear upper seatback slide bracket, wherein the electricmotor drive unit vertically adjusts the upper movable seatback hoodmodule relative the lower stationary portion when the electric motordrive unit is actuated.

These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present inventionwill be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art uponstudying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle seating assembly inaccordance with the present disclosure installed in the motor vehicle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle seating assembly inaccordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lower seat of the vehicle seatingassembly in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a is an exploded perspective view of the lower seat of thevehicle seating assembly in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the cushion frame assembly inaccordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the cushion frame assembly inaccordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 7A is a front perspective view of the seatback with the uppermovable seatback hood module in the lowermost position in accordancewith the present disclosure;

FIG. 7B is a front perspective view of the seatback with the uppermovable seatback hood module in the uppermost position in accordancewith the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the upper movable seatback hoodmodule in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of the headrest in accordance withthe present disclosure;

FIG. 9A is an exploded front perspective view of the headrest inaccordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 9B is an exploded front perspective view of the headrest, headrestdovetail, headrest cup, dovetail receiver, and rear upper slide bracketin accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of the headrest cup in accordancewith the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a rear exploded perspective view of the headrest dovetail,roller bearings, and dovetail receiver in accordance with the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of the U-shaped member of theheadrest in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of the upper movable seatback hoodmodule in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a front perspective view of the upper movable seatback hoodmodule and the U-shaped member installed in accordance with the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of the upper movable seatback hoodmodule with the headrest removed in accordance with the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the seatbackin accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 is an exploded front perspective view of the upper movableseatback hood module in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 18 is a front perspective view of the rear upper slide bracket ofthe seatback in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 19 is a rear view of the rear upper slide bracket of the seatbackin accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 20 is a front perspective view of the seatback frame assembly andthe back frame bracket of the seatback in accordance with the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 21 is a front perspective view of the rail guides and rails of theseatback in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 22 is a front perspective view of the back frame bracket of theseatback in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 23 is a rear perspective view of the back frame reinforcementbracket of the seatback in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a rear perspective view of the motor nut of the seatback inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 25 is a front perspective view of the electric motor drive unit ofthe seatback in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 26 is a side perspective view of the trim panel of the vehicleseating assembly in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,”“left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivativesthereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 1. However, itis to be understood that the invention may assume various alternativeorientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It isalso to be understood that the specific devices and processesillustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the followingspecification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive conceptsdefined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and otherphysical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed hereinare not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly stateotherwise.

Referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle seating assembly 10 is illustrated insidethe vehicle cabin 8 of a vehicle 6. The vehicle seating assembly 10 maybe a seat for a driver, a seat for a passenger, a rear bucket seat, arear row of seats, as shown, or any other vehicle seat. The vehicleseating assembly 10 includes a lower seat 12 and a seatback 14 pivotablyattached to the lower seat 12. The seatback 14 of the vehicle seatingassembly 10 includes a forward facing surface 16 and a rearward facingsurface 18, each of which may be covered with a protective and/ordecorative material 20. Leather and/or vinyl are often and preferablyemployed. The vehicle seating assembly 10 also includes a headrest 22operably coupled to an upper portion 24 of the seatback 14 of thevehicle seating assembly 10. The vehicle seating assembly 10 alsotypically includes a vehicle seat base 26 configured to providestructural support to the vehicle seating assembly 10. The vehicle seatbase 26 is preferably supported on seat mounting rail assemblies 28, asis known in the art. The seat mounting rail assembly 28 is configured toallow the vehicle seating assembly 10 to be adjusted in forward andrearward directions relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 6.

It is understood that the vehicle seating assembly 10 may be positionedin various locations throughout the vehicle other than the illustratedposition, such as a passenger side location, a mid-row location, and arear seat location. The vehicle seating assembly 10 is thereby slidablycoupled with a floor 32. It is also conceivable that the vehicle seatingassembly 10 may not include the seat mounting rail assembly 28 andalternatively may be fixedly coupled with the floor 32 of the vehicle.

Lower seat 12 includes a cushion frame assembly 30, which in turnincludes a cushion frame 34, to which a seat belt buckle 36 is attached.A suspension system 38 is disposed within a rear portion 40 of thecushion frame assembly 30 and beneath and juxtaposed with a cushion foamassembly 42 disposed above for support of the occupant. The suspensionsystem 38 is preferably formed from tunable springs 44 which support acentral panel 46. Preferably, at least one variable tension spring 48 ismounted to the cushion frame assembly 30. The suspension system 38 mayalso include a motor 50, a gear 52, and a spring attachment member 54. Afixedly mounted connecting rod 56 extends between lateral sides 58, 60of the cushion frame 34 and a sleeve 62 rotatably encircles theconnecting rod 56. The motor 50 and gear 52 are operably coupled to thesleeve 62 and the spring attachment member 54 is rigidly mounted on thesleeve 62.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the variable tension springs 48 are mountedin tension between the spring attachment member 54 and a cushion pan 64pivotably mounted to and forming a forward portion 66 of the cushionframe 34. When activated, the motor 50 and gear 52 are adapted to rotatethe sleeve 62 and spring attachment member 54. In the illustratedexample, rotating the sleeve 62 and spring attachment member 54 rearwardraises a rear portion 68 of the variable tension springs 48 andincreases the tension applied to the variable tension springs 48.Raising the rear portion 68 of the variable tension springs 48 raisesthe height of the seating surface 70. Additionally, as is understood byone of ordinary skill in the art, increasing the tension on the variabletension springs 48 decreases the flex or extension thereof, which meansthe variable tension springs 48 and cushion foam assembly 42 will movedownward a smaller distance when placed under load, such as when anoccupant sits on the vehicle seating assembly 10. Conversely, rotatingthe sleeve 62 and spring attachment member 54 forward lowers the rearportion 68 of the variable tension springs 48 and decreases the tensionapplied to the variable tension springs 48. This increases the flex orextension of the variable tension springs 48, which means the variabletension springs 48 and cushion foam assembly 42 will move downward agreater distance when an occupant is seated in vehicle seating assembly10. Further, lowering the rear portion 68 of the variable tensionsprings 48 lowers the height of the seating surface 70.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, a cushion leg jounce bracket 72 isattached to a rear portion 65 of the cushion pan 64, preferably at apoint about midway on the cushion frame 34. The cushion leg jouncebracket 72 includes a base 74 attached to the cushion pan 64 with twoextended jounce paddles 76, 78 that act much like a diving board orcantilevered beam to support the back of the thighs. Preferably, thecushion leg jounce bracket 72 forms the pair of jounce paddles 76, 78symmetrically disposed along either side of a longitudinal centerline Cof the vehicle seating assembly, with a notch 80 separating each of thejounce paddles 76, 78 at the base 74 along the longitudinal centerline Cof the vehicle seating assembly. Preferably, each of the jounce paddles76, 78 is about 150 mm wide transverse to the longitudinal centerline Cof the vehicle so as to provide adequate support to the back of each ofan occupant's thighs.

Each of the jounce paddles 76, 78 extends upwardly and forwardly to forma vertical gap G between a distal end 84, 86 of each jounce paddle 76,78 and a forward edge 82 of the cushion pan 64 and is thereby preferablydisposed to independently support one of the occupant's thighs. Each ofthe jounce paddles 76, 78 may be resiliently urged downwardly by theweight of the occupant's thigh without contacting the forward edge 82 ofthe cushion pan 64 and thereby provide resilient support. However, is itconceivable that the cushion leg jounce bracket 72 may be arrangedhaving a single jounce paddle, or a pair of jounce paddles 76, 78 thatmay be selectively coupled and uncoupled to act independently under arespective thigh of the occupant.

The cushion leg jounce bracket 72 is preferably formed as a singlemolded component, but may be formed from two symmetrical pieces arrangedon either side of the longitudinal centerline C of the vehicle seatingassembly 10, each comprising one of the jounce paddles 76, 78.Preferably, the cushion leg jounce bracket 72 is formed fromglass-filled injection molded nylon having a thickness of about between2.5 and 3.5 mm. However, it should be noted that the cushion leg jouncebracket 72 may be effectively tunable to specific performance criteriaby appropriate selection of the material from which the cushion legjounce bracket 72 is fabricated, the thickness of the cushion leg jouncebracket 72, the addition of ribs (not shown) on the bottom of thepaddles on the cushion leg jounce bracket 72, and the addition of asplit line along the cushion leg jounce bracket 72 proximate the base 74of the notch 80 separating the pair of j ounce paddles 76, 78.

The cushion foam assembly 42 is disposed above and is attached to thecushion frame 34 as shown in FIG. 3, and is supported at a forwardportion 66 by the cushion leg jounce bracket 72. Preferably, theunderside of the cushion foam assembly 42 is provided with a durablesurface material that is particularly wear resistant, in that therelative movement between the jounce paddles 76, 78 of the cushion legjounce bracket 72 and the underside of the cushion foam assembly 42 willtend to wear on the underside of the cushion foam assembly 42.

Preferably, the cushion pan 64 is pivotably, and thereby adjustably,mounted to the cushion frame 34 by a pair of pivots 88 located on eitherside of the cushion frame assembly 30. The cushion pan 64 so mounted maybe manually and pivotally adjusted by use of a knob or lever (notshown), as is well known in the seating arts, or a remotely pivotallyadjusted by use of a motorized gear assembly (not shown), as is alsowell known in the seating arts.

The cushion leg jounce bracket 72 disclosed herein provides a flexiblethigh support assembly that assembles directly to the cushion pan 64.The cushion leg jounce bracket 72 provides passive supports that arecapable of acting independently under the load of each leg, and therebyreducing leg muscle fatigue and provide support for important vehiclefunctions, especially such as acceleration and braking with the rightleg and manual gear shift or relaxation on the left leg.

As shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B, 16, 17, and 20, the seatback 14 includes aseatback frame assembly 90, that includes a back carrier 94, a frontcushion 92, and a rear trim panel 96 that enclose the seatback frameassembly 90 in a clamshell type arrangement. Preferably, as will bediscussed more fully below, the seatback 14 includes a lower stationaryseatback base portion 98 and an upper movable seatback hood module 100that allows the upper portion 24 of the seatback 14 to be raised andlowered in accordance with the occupant's preference and, in particular,to properly locate the headrest 22 and a speaker assembly 196, bothaddressed in more detail below. The upper movable seatback hood module100 includes a front upper seatback slide bracket 102 that forms a frontof the upper movable seatback hood module 100, rear upper seatback slidebracket 104, hood foam 106, and a hood back trim panel 110. The frontupper seatback slide bracket 102 and hood back trim panel 110 enclosethe rear upper seatback slide bracket 104 in a clamshell-typearrangement, as shown in FIG. 17.

The forward facing surface 112 of the upper portion 24 of the seatback14 includes a central recess 114 that corresponds with and receives aheadrest cup 116. The headrest cup 116 is preferably formed as apolymeric shell mounted within the central recess 114 and on the forwardfacing surface 112 of the seatback 14 and is disposed in front of aforward surface 122 of the rear upper seatback slide bracket 104. Inturn, the headrest 22 is received within a recess 120 of the headrestcup 116 disposed on the forward facing surface 112 of the seatback 14.As shown in FIG. 13, the headrest 22 is thereby mounted within the uppermovable seatback hood module 100 on the upper portion 24 of the seatback14.

In particular, in the case of high-performance seats installed in motorvehicles that are designed for racing and motor track use, it is oftenrequired that the occupants, especially the driver, wear a helmet orother type of protective headgear adapted to protect the head of theoccupant. However, existing headrests are often in the way and tend topush the head of the driver forward to uncomfortable positions due tothe bulk of existing headrests. While such headrests can often beremoved, rear head support is likewise removed. In the case ofperformance seats that are intended to be used in racing or sportingapplications, this is especially unacceptable. Instead, what was neededwas a performance seat that was adaptable to accommodate racing helmetsand head gear, especially in the head region where movement and viewingflexibility is most needed, while also providing adequate support.

Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a headrest 22 that can beeasily assembled and installed in the seatback 14, as well as be readilyremovable and reinstalled without the need for tools or adjustment. Theheadrest 22, that further provides a pivoting adjustment mechanism andsupporting structure, as discussed below, may be readily attached to theupper portion 24 of the seatback 14 by means of a “dovetail” design tosecure it in place, yet allow the headrest 22 to be readily removed forracing or motor track use or service requirements and readilyreinstalled. That is, as shown in FIGS. 8, 9B, and 13-16, the headrest22 is mounted to the forward surface 122 of the rear upper seatbackslide bracket 104 via a headrest dovetail 124 that is removably receivedwithin a dovetail receiver 126 mounted to the rear upper seatback slidebracket 104. Preferably, the headrest may be articulated forward andbackward around a pair of pivots 128 near its base 130 and the headrest22 can be entirely removed from the seatback 14, as discussed below.

The headrest 22 disclosed herein avoids the problems of existingheadrests by being installed within the headrest cup 116 and by beingreadily removable and reinstallable, thereby allowing the headrest 22 tobe removed from the seatback 14 to expose the headrest cup 116 withinwhich the driver's or passenger's helmet can be received. The presentdisclosure avoids the disadvantages of prior removable headrest designsand replaces the posts that extend downwardly to allow the verticaladjustment for the headrest 22 height with a dovetail attachmentmechanism. With the headrest 22 simply removed from the seatback 14, asis discussed further detail below, an ample cavity is formed withinwhich a helmet or other headgear may be received to allow the driverand/or passenger to occupy the seat with relative comfort. In such acase, the headrest cup 116, even with the headrest 22 removed, stilloffers head and neck support in the event of a rear impact to minimizewhiplash and other injuries. In this regard, it is further noted thatthe headrest cup 116 is preferably lined with a rubber padding 132, sothat with the headrest 22 removed, any jostling or other contact of theoccupant's helmet or headgear with the headrest cup 116 is dampened andminimized.

The headrest 22 includes a headrest cover 134 that encases the headrest22, which further includes a headrest front foam member 136, an EPP foammember 137, a headrest mechanism 138 comprising a generally U-shapedtubular member 140 and a rear mounting base plate 142, and a rear foammember 144. Preferably, the U-shaped tubular member 140 and the rearmounting base plate 142 are fabricated from steel. The U-shaped tubularmember 140 comprises two vertically and upwardly extending arms 146 thateach engages a respective right and left end of an upwardly andrearwardly tilted U-shaped support 148 for providing rigid structuralsupport to the headrest 22, as shown. The U-shaped tubular member 140 ispivotally mounted to the rear mounting base plate 142 by the pair ofopposed pivots 128, one of which includes a spring-loaded ratchetmechanism 150, as shown in FIG. 12, which in one embodiment normallyurges the headrest 22 to a forward position by a spring 151. In use, theheadrest 22 can be pivoted forward from a maximum rearward position indiscrete increments by the action of a pawl 152 engaging a cam 154 untilreaching a maximum forward position. After reaching the maximum forwardposition, the pawl 152 is released from the cam 154 to release theratchet mechanism 150 which, in turn, releases and allows the return ofthe headrest 22 to its rearward position. While the headrest 22 shownherein is intended for manual adjustment, it is contemplated that amotor and quick disconnect for the power to the motor (not shown) can beprovided to facilitate ready removal of the headrest 22 from theseatback 14 and reinstallation thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 9B and 11, the dovetail attachment mechanism includesthe headrest dovetail 124 mounted to the rear of the headrest 22, inparticular to the rear mounting base plate 142, via a plurality ofmechanical fasteners, as is known in the art. The headrest dovetail 124comprises a rectangular block member 158 that preferably has a cavity160 formed in a central portion thereof to minimize weight. A pluralityof mechanical fastener openings 162 is provided on a forward surface 164of the rectangular block member 158 about the cavity 160 to facilitateattachment of the rectangular block member 158 to the rear mounting baseplate 142 of the headrest 22. A pair of laterally engaging tabs 166extends laterally in both side directions beyond the lateral dimensionsof the rectangular block member 158 proximate a rear surface 168 of theheadrest dovetail 124. An upper edge 170 extends slightly above an uppersurface 172 of the rectangular block member 158.

The dovetail receiver 126, best shown in FIGS. 9B, 11, and 16, ismounted to the forward surface 122 of the rear upper seatback slidebracket 104 via a plurality of conventional mechanical fasteners. Thatis, the dovetail receiver 126 has a rear surface 176 that is juxtaposedwith the forward surface 122 of the rear upper seatback slide bracket104 and is rigidly attached thereto. A forward surface 178 and an uppersurface 180 of the dovetail receiver 126 are provided with an openingthat forms a T-shaped slot 182. The T-shaped slot 182 has a lateralwidth on the upper surface 180 that exceeds the lateral width of theforward surface 178. The T-shaped slot 182 is thus formed on the forwardsurface 178 and upper surface 180 of the dovetail receiver 126. A lowersurface within the T-shaped slot 182 forms a bottom shoulder 184thereof.

A T-shaped slot 186 in the headrest cup 116 is shaped to conform to theshape of the T-shaped slot 182, the headrest cup 116 concealing theremaining structure of the dovetail receiver 126 in order to provide anaesthetically pleasing appearance, as shown in FIG. 15. The dovetailreceiver 126, so situated relative the T-shaped slot 186, is adapted toreceive the laterally engaging tabs 166 of the headrest dovetail 124 asthe headrest dovetail 124 is slid downwardly through the T-shaped slot186 and into an upper opening 188 of the T-shaped slot 182 in thedovetail receiver 126 from above until bottoming out on the bottomshoulder 184. With the laterally engaging tabs 166 of the headrestdovetail 124 so inserted into the T-shaped slot 182, the headrest 22 isrigidly attached to the headrest dovetail 124 and may thereby besecurely installed in the central recess 114 of the seatback 14.

The T-shaped slot 182 in the dovetail receiver 126 is further providedwith a pair of recesses 190 within which a pair of spring-loaded rollerbearings 192 is mounted. A matching pair of indented dimples 194 isprovided in the rear surface 168 of the headrest dovetail 124 and isaligned with each of the spring-loaded roller bearings 192 when theheadrest 22 is installed. With the indented dimples 194 so aligned withand engaged by the spring-loaded roller bearings 192, the spring-loadedroller bearings 192 are resiliently urged into the indented dimples 194and secure the headrest dovetail 124 within the T-shaped slot 182 of thedovetail receiver 126. However, by simply exerting a moderate upwardforce on the headrest 22, the spring-loaded roller bearings 192 can beurged rearwardly, so as to release their engagement with the indenteddimples 194. The headrest dovetail 124 can thereby be easily detachedfrom the T-shaped slot 182 of the dovetail receiver 126 for removal ofthe entire headrest 22 from the seatback 14. Thus, the headrest 22 canbe readily removed from the seatback 14 without the use of tools or theneed for adjustment. Similarly, the headrest 22 can be readilyreinstalled into the headrest cup 116 of the seatback 14 again withoutthe use of tools or the need to perform any types of adjustment.

It should be noted that the disclosed embodiment for mounting theheadrest 22 to the upper portion 24 of the seatback 14 itself providesno vertical adjustment of the headrest 22 relative to the upper portion24 of the seatback 14. Rather, as set forth the below, the height of theheadrest 22 can be adjusted by adjustment of the upper portion 24 of theseatback 14. This is particularly advantageous in that existing headrestassemblies using adjustable posts are typically movable within avertical range of about 50 cm. However, since the upper portion 24 ofthe seatback 14 of the present disclosure, as further discussed below,is adapted to move within a range H of 75 mm, as shown in FIG. 7A, theheadrest 22 disclosed herein is provided with even greateradjustability.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 13, 14, and 15, a speaker assembly 196 ismounted proximate the bottom of the headrest cup 116 via a pair ofspeaker openings 198, 200 through both the headrest cup 116 and rearupper seatback slide bracket 104 that receive a pair of speakers 206shown in FIG. 16. The speaker assembly 196 can include traditionalwoofer and tweeter systems to more recent piezo-electric speakersystems. Preferably, the speakers include dual 7.5-watt drivers.

A resonance cavity 202 is formed proximate to and just below theheadrest cup 116, preferably within the rear upper seatback slidebracket 104, within which the speaker assembly 196 is received. Theresonance cavity 202 comprises an enclosed volume, preferably about 290cm³. Since the resonance cavity 202 is formed in the rear upper seatbackslide bracket 104, it is thus enclosed within the seatback 14 betweenthe front upper seatback slide bracket 102 and hood back trim panel 110.

The pair of speaker openings 198, 200 is preferably arranged inside-by-side relation on the lower portion 204 of the headrest cup 116and the speaker assembly 196 comprises the pair of speakers 206, eachreceived and mounted within one of the pair of speaker openings 198,200. The pair of speaker openings 198, 200 opens into the headrest cup116 disposed on the lower portion 204 of the headrest cup 116. As shownin FIG. 8, a slot 210 is formed between the pair of speaker openings198, 200, the slot 210 being provided to receive a clip 212 dependingfrom a bottom surface 214 of the polymeric shell of the headrest cup 116by which the polymeric shell of the headrest cup 116 is partiallyattached to the seatback 14. It has been found that a positive and rigidattachment of the polymeric shell of the headrest cup 116 to theseatback 14 proximate the speakers 206 prevents undesired vibration ofthe polymeric shell of the headrest cup 116 when the speakers volume israised. Further, the slot 210 is sealed from the resonance cavity 202 byan enclosed cap 216 extending downwardly from the slot 210 into contactwith the rearward surface 218 of the resonance cavity 202.

The resonance cavity 202 further includes a pair of passive radiatoropenings 220, 222 arranged in side-by-side relation and disposed on arear surface 240 of the rear upper seatback slide bracket 104, withinwhich each one of a pair of the passive radiators 224, 226 is received.The pair of passive radiator openings 220, 222 forms rearward facingopenings. The pair of passive radiators 224, 226 each comprises acircular elastomeric diaphragm.

A headrest cup speaker grill 228 is disposed above the speaker openings198, 200 and below the headrest 22, and a forward facing gap F isprovided between the headrest cup speaker grill 228 and a lower portion230 of the headrest 22, as shown in FIG. 7B. The headrest cup speakergrill 228 is comprised of a thin gauge perforated metal mesh.Preferably, the perforated metal mesh is comprised of aluminum meshabout 0.005 inches in thickness.

As noted above, the seatback 14 includes the lower stationary seatbackbase portion 98 and an upper movable seatback hood module 100 thatallows the upper portion 24 of the seatback 14 to be raised and loweredin accordance with the customer's preference and, in particular, toproperly locate the headrest 22 and the speaker openings 198, 200. Thelower stationary seatback base portion 98 is supported by the seatbackframe assembly 90, while the upper movable seatback hood module 100 isvertically adjustable relative the lower stationary seatback baseportion 98 and is supported by the front upper seatback slide bracket102 in cooperation with the rear upper seatback slide bracket 104.

Preferably, a set of four rail guides 232, 234, 236, 238 is mounted tothe rear surface 240 of the rear upper seatback slide bracket 104, asshown in FIG. 19. The rail guides 232, 234, 236, 238 are arranged in agenerally rectangular orientation in two pairs on each side of the rearupper seatback slide bracket 104 about its centerline C. That is, theplurality of rail guides 232, 234, 236, 238 are mounted to the rearwardfacing surface 240 of the rear upper seatback slide bracket 104 in apair of rows on the rearward facing surface 240 of the rear upperseatback slide bracket 104 and on opposite sides of and relative thecenterline C thereof.

The rail guides 232, 234, 236, 238 are in turn engaged by a pair ofslide rails 242, 244 mounted to a back frame bracket 246. The pair ofslide rails 242, 244 is mounted in abutting relation with a forwardfacing surface 252 of the back frame bracket 246. Each of the sliderails 242, 244 has a base 254 in parallel relation with a forward facingsurface 256 of the seatback frame assembly 90, a pair of cooperatinglegs 258, 260 extending orthogonally from the base 254 and a pair ofopposing tabs 262, 264 extending orthogonally from the cooperating legs258, 260 in a plane parallel to the base 254. Likewise, each of the railguides 232, 234, 236, 238 has a base 266 in parallel relation with therearward facing surface 240 of the rear upper seatback slide bracket 104and a pair of ears 268, 270 extending outwardly from the base 266, thepair of ears 268, 270 being displaced from the rearward facing surface240 of the rear upper seatback slide bracket 104 and slidingly engagedon either side by the opposing tabs 262, 264 of the slide rails 242,244. Each of the rail guides 232, 234, 236, 238 thereby slidinglyengages one of the slide rails 242, 244.

Although the preferred embodiment has been described, it should be notedthat the plurality of rail guides 232, 234, 236, 238 may be mounted toeither of one of the seatback frame assembly 90 or the front upperseatback slide bracket 102 and the rail may be mounted to the other ofthe seatback frame assembly 90 or the front upper seatback slide bracket102, so long as the slide rails 242, 244 slidably engage the pluralityof rail guides 232, 234, 236, 238.

As shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 16, the lower stationary seatback baseportion 98 comprises a forward facing surface 271 and a rearward facingsurface 272. The forward facing surface 271 includes a lower seatbackcushion 274 having an outer covering 276, while the rearward facingsurface 272 comprising a semi-rigid lower back panel 278 extendingupwardly relative the lower stationary seatback base portion 98. Theupper movable seatback hood module 100 also includes a forward facinghood covering 280, an upper closeout panel 282 attached to a bottomportion 284 of the upper movable seatback hood module 100 beneath theforward facing hood covering 280, and the rearward-facing hood back trimpanel 110.

Preferably, in order to present a pleasing appearance at all times, theupper closeout panel 282 extends downwardly behind and below an upperedge 288 of the lower seatback cushion 274 when the upper movableseatback hood module 100 is moved to an upmost raised position.Likewise, the rearward facing hood back trim panel 110 extendsdownwardly below an upper edge 290 of the upwardly extending lower backpanel 278 when the upper movable seatback hood module 100 is moved tothe upmost raised position. Also, the forward portion of the lowerstationary seatback base portion 98 includes the forward facing surface271, a back foam cushion 292, and the seatback frame assembly 90,wherein the upper closeout panel 282 extends downwardly and isvertically displaceable within a space defined between the forwardfacing surface 112 and back foam cushion 292 and the seatback frameassembly 90.

An electric motor drive unit 294 is mounted on one of the seatback frameassembly 90 or the rear upper seatback slide bracket 104, and isoperatively coupled with the other of the seatback frame assembly 90 orthe rear upper seatback slide bracket 104, as shown in FIG. 16. Theelectric motor drive unit 294 thus may vertically adjust the uppermovable seatback hood module 100 relative the lower stationary seatbackbase portion 98 when the electric motor drive unit 294 is actuated.

Preferably, the electric motor drive unit 294 is mounted on the seatbackframe assembly 90 and a driven member 296 is mounted on the rear upperseatback slide bracket 104, as shown in FIG. 16. The driven member 296preferably comprises a motor nut 298, and the electric motor drive unit294 further comprises an electric motor 300 with a threaded output shaft302 that engages the motor nut 298 to vertically adjust the uppermovable seatback hood module 100 relative the lower stationary seatbackbase portion 98 when the electric motor drive unit 294 is actuated.

Preferably, the electric motor 300 is mounted to a rearward facingsurface 304 on back frame bracket 246, which is in turn rigidly attachedto the seatback frame assembly 90 that forms the supporting structurefor the lower stationary seatback base portion 98 of the seatback 14.The electric motor 300 preferably is mounted to the back frame bracket246 via a back frame reinforcement bracket 306 and thereby engages andselectively drives the vertically extending threaded output shaft 302.

An upper portion of the vertically extending threaded shaft 302 isreceived within a threaded opening 308 within the motor nut 298, wherethe motor nut 298 is in turn rigidly attached to the rearward facingsurface 240 of the rear upper seatback slide bracket 104. When theelectric motor 300 is actuated, the rotation of the vertically extendingthreaded output shaft 302 drives the motor nut 298 upward or downward,depending on the initial position and direction of rotation. A slot 310in the back frame bracket 246 allows the motor nut 298 to move upwardlyand downwardly relative the back frame bracket 246. As the motor nut 298is rigidly mounted to the rear surface 240 of the rear upper seatbackslide bracket 104, the upper movable seatback hood module 100 is movedeither upwardly or downwardly, again depending upon its initial positionand the direction of rotation, relative the lower stationary backseatbase portion 98. Thus, the interaction of the rail guides 232, 234, 236,238 with the slide rails 242, 244 allows for the upper movable seatbackhood module 100 to rise and lower relative to the lower stationarybackseat base portion 98 of the seatback 14.

Although the electric motor 300 is preferably disclosed as being mountedon the seatback frame assembly 90 and the driven member 296 is mountedon the rear upper seatback slide bracket 104, the components can bereversed. That is, the electric motor drive unit 294 may be mounted onthe rear upper seatback slide bracket 104, and the driven member 296 maybe mounted on the seatback frame assembly 90. A switch 312 with which toactuate the electrical motor 300 may be disposed on an outboard trimpanel 314 of the seat assembly, as shown in FIG. 26.

Based on the 50^(th) percentile adult male model, the upper movableseatback hood module 100 has a neutral position N, as shown in FIG. 7A,wherein the headrest 22 and the speakers 206, 208 are located at theoptimum position relative the occupant's head and ears. Further, avertical gap D is defined between a lower edge 316 of the forward facinghood covering 280 and the upper edge 288 of the lower seatback cushion274. Preferably, the upper movable seatback hood module 100 is thusdisplaceable from the neutral position N to a lowermost loweredposition, where the vertical height between the lowermost loweredposition and the neutral position N is about 10 mm. Preferably, theupper movable seatback hood module 100 is also displaceable from theneutral position N to an upmost raised position over a vertical gap U,where the vertical height between the lower edge 316 and the upper edge288 and thus between the upmost raised position and the neutral positionN is about 65 mm. Thus, preferably, the total vertical height H betweenthe lower edge 316 and the upper edge 288 and thus between the upmostraised position and the lowermost lowered position is about 75 mm,thereby providing a wide range of adjustment heights to accommodateoccupants of different heights and builds. That is, this embodimentprovides appropriate positioning of the headrest 22 and the speakers 206relative the occupant's head and may be customized to the particularstature of the occupant. By employing the upper moveable seatback hoodmodule 100 of the present disclosure, with a total travel of 75 mm inthe vertical direction via an electric motor 300 that moves on multipleslide rails 242, 244 that allows the upper moveable seatback hood module100, including the headrest 22, to adjust its height to the range ofoccupant sizes from shortest to tallest statures, the occupant's comfortis enhanced.

In accordance with another feature of the present disclosure, theheadrest 22 and speakers 206 are thus placed precisely at the lower earlevel of the occupant to enhance the occupant's listening experience andsense of own space. By packaging the speaker assembly 196 in the uppermoveable seatback hood module 100, sound and music may be enjoyed closeto the occupant's ears and within a central recess 114 of the uppermoveable seatback hood module 100 assembly. The acoustics are maximizedby the sound waves having short distances to travel. This proximitycreates an occupant experience of “live” sounds and clear listening.Particularly in combination with the built-in resonance cavity 202 belowthe speaker openings 198, 200 and the dual passive radiators 224, 226positioned at the rear and bottom of the resonance cavity 202, theheadrest 22 and speakers 206 location has been found to be optimal forbest listening and acoustics.

Further, the disclosed sound system provides to the occupant of thevehicle seating assembly 10 the ability to engage in privatecommunications without using the main cabin speaker system. That is,during the use of integrated, hands-free mobile telephone conversationsand vehicle systems that provide text reading capabilities duringvehicle operation, the speaker assembly 196 disposed just behind theears of the occupant allows for lower volumes and thus a more privatetelephone conversation or text reading experience.

Moreover, it will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the artthat construction of the described invention and other components is notlimited to any specific material. Other exemplary embodiments of theinvention disclosed herein may be formed from a wide variety ofmaterials, unless described otherwise herein.

For purposes of this disclosure, the terms “coupled” in all of itsforms, couple, coupling, coupled, etc. and “connected” in all of itsforms, connect, connecting, connected, etc. generally means the joiningof two components electrical or mechanical directly or indirectly to oneanother. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature.Such joining may be achieved with the two components electrical ormechanical and any additional intermediate members being integrallyformed as a single unitary body with one another or with the twocomponents. Such joining may be permanent in nature or may be removableor releasable in nature unless otherwise stated.

For purposes of this disclosure, the term “operably connected” generallymeans that one component functions with respect to another component,even if there are other components located between the first and secondcomponent, and the term “operable” defines a functional relationshipbetween components.

It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement ofthe elements of the invention as shown in the exemplary embodiments isillustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the presentinnovations have been described in detail in this disclosure, thoseskilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciatethat many modifications are possible e.g., variations in sizes,dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements,values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors,orientations, etc. without materially departing from the novel teachingsand advantages of the subject matter recited. For example, elementsshown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts orelements shown in multiple parts may be integrally formed, the operationof the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied, the length orwidth of the structures and/or members or connector or other elements ofthe system may be varied, the nature or number of adjustment positionsprovided between the elements may be varied. It should be noted that theelements and/or assemblies of the system may be constructed from any ofthe wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength ordurability, in any of the wide variety of colors, textures, andcombinations. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to beincluded within the scope of the present innovations. Othersubstitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in thedesign, operating conditions, and arrangement of the desired and otherexemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the presentinnovations.

It will be understood that any described processes or steps withindescribed processes may be combined with other disclosed processes orsteps to form structures within the scope of the present invention. Theexemplary structures and processes disclosed herein are for illustrativepurposes and are not to be construed as limiting.

It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made onthe aforementioned structure and methods without departing from theconcepts of the present invention, and further it is to be understoodthat such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claimsunless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle seating assembly for a motor vehiclehaving a lower seat and a seatback extending upwardly from the lowerseat, the seatback comprising: a lower stationary seatback base portionfurther comprising a seatback frame assembly; an upper movable seatbackhood module vertically adjustable relative the lower stationary portion,the upper movable seatback hood module further comprising an upperseatback slide bracket; a plurality of rail guides mounted to one of theseatback frame assembly or the upper seatback slide bracket and a sliderail mounted to the other of the seatback frame assembly or the upperseatback slide bracket, the plurality of rail guides engaging the sliderail; and an electric motor drive unit mounted to one of the seatbackframe assembly or the upper seatback slide bracket, and a driven membermounted to the other of the seatback frame assembly or the upperseatback slide bracket, wherein the electric motor drive unit engagesthe driven member to vertically adjust the upper movable seatback hoodmodule relative the lower stationary portion when the electric motordrive unit is actuated.
 2. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1,wherein a headrest is integrated into the upper movable seatback hoodmodule.
 3. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 2, wherein the uppermovable seatback hood module comprises a forward facing surface, arearward facing surface, and wherein the headrest is received within aheadrest cup disposed on the forward facing surface of the upper movableseatback hood module.
 4. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 3,wherein the upper movable seatback hood module further comprises aspeaker assembly mounted in the headrest cup, and a resonance cavityformed proximate the headrest cup within which the speaker assembly isreceived.
 5. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein theelectric motor drive unit is mounted on the seatback frame assembly andthe driven member is mounted on the upper seatback slide bracket.
 6. Thevehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the electric motor driveunit is mounted on the upper seatback slide bracket and the drivenmember is mounted on the seatback frame assembly.
 7. The vehicle seatingassembly of claim 1, wherein the driven member is a motor nut and theelectric motor drive unit further comprises an electric motor with athreaded output shaft that engages the motor nut.
 8. The vehicle seatingassembly of claim 1, wherein the lower stationary seatback base portioncomprises a forward facing surface and a rearward facing surface, theforward facing surface comprising a lower seatback front cushion havingan outer covering and the rearward facing surface comprising a lowerback panel extending upwardly relative the lower stationary seatbackbase portion; and the upper movable seatback hood module comprises aforward facing hood covering, an upper closeout panel attached to abottom portion of the upper movable seatback hood module beneath theforward facing hood covering, and a rearward facing hood back panel,wherein the upper closeout panel extends downwardly behind and below anupper edge of the lower seatback front cushion when the upper movableseatback hood module is moved to an upmost raised position and therearward facing hood back panel extends downwardly below an upper edgeof the upwardly extending lower back panel when the upper movableseatback hood module is moved to the upmost raised position.
 9. Thevehicle seating assembly of claim 8, wherein a forward portion of thelower stationary seatback base portion comprises the forward facingsurface, the lower seatback front cushion and the seatback frameassembly, wherein the upper closeout panel extends downwardly and isvertically displaceable within a space defined between the forwardfacing surface and the seatback frame assembly.
 10. The vehicle seatingassembly of claim 8, wherein the upper movable seatback hood module hasa neutral position and wherein when the upper movable seatback hoodmodule is the neutral position, a vertical gap of about 10 mm is definedbetween a lower edge of the forward facing hood covering and the upperedge of the lower seatback cushion member.
 11. The vehicle seatingassembly of claim 10, wherein the upper movable seatback hood module isdisplaceable from the neutral position to an upmost raised position, andwherein a vertical displacement between the upmost raised position andthe neutral position is about 65 mm, and wherein the upper movableseatback hood module is displaceable from the neutral position to alowermost lowered position, and wherein a vertical displacement betweenthe lowermost lowered position and the neutral position is about 10 mm.12. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8, wherein the upper movableseatback hood module is displaceable between the upmost raised positionand a lowermost lowered position, and wherein the vertical displacementbetween the upmost raised position and the lowermost lowered position isabout 75 mm.
 13. A seatback for a motor vehicle comprising an upper hoodvertically adjustable relative a lower portion, a plurality of railguides slidably engaging a rail, a motor mounted to a lower portionframe or an upper seatback slide bracket, and a driven member mounted tothe other of the lower portion frame or the upper seatback slidebracket, wherein the motor engages the driven member to verticallyadjust the upper hood relative the lower portion.
 14. The seatback ofclaim 13, wherein the lower portion has a seatback frame assembly andthe plurality of rail guides is mounted to one of the seatback frameassembly or the upper seatback slide bracket and the rail is mounted tothe other of the seatback frame assembly or the upper seatback slidebracket, the plurality of rail guides slidably engaging the rail. 15.The seatback of claim 14, wherein a pair of rails are mounted to aforward facing surface of the seatback frame assembly, each of the pairof rails having a base in parallel relation with the forward facingsurface of the seatback frame assembly, a pair of cooperating legsextending orthogonally from the base and a pair of opposing tabsextending orthogonally from the legs in a plane parallel to the base.16. The seatback of claim 15, wherein the plurality of rail guides aremounted to a rearward facing surface of the upper seatback slide bracketin a pair of rows on opposite sides of the rearward facing surface ofthe upper seatback slide bracket relative a centerline thereof, each ofthe rail guides having a base in parallel relation with the rearwardfacing surface of the upper seatback slide bracket and a pair of earsextending outwardly from the base, the pair of ears being displaced fromthe rearward facing surface of the upper seatback slide bracket andslidingly engaged on either side by the opposing tabs of the rails. 17.The seatback of claim 14, wherein the motor is mounted on the seatbackframe assembly and the driven member is mounted on the upper seatbackslide bracket.
 18. A vehicle seating assembly for a motor vehiclecomprising: a lower seat; and a seatback extending upwardly from thelower seat, wherein the seatback comprises a lower seatback base portionsupported by a seatback frame assembly, an upper movable seatback hoodmodule vertically adjustable relative the lower portion supported by afront upper slide bracket in cooperation with a rear upper seatbackslide bracket, a plurality of rail guides mounted to one of the seatbackframe assembly or the rear upper seatback slide bracket and a slide railmounted to the other of the seatback frame assembly or the rear upperseatback slide bracket, the plurality of rail guides slidably engagingthe slide rail; and an electric motor drive unit mounted on one of theseatback frame assembly or the rear upper seatback slide bracket, andoperatively coupled with the other of the seatback frame assembly or therear upper seatback slide bracket, wherein the electric motor drive unitvertically adjusts the upper movable seatback hood module relative thelower stationary portion when the electric motor drive unit is actuated.19. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 18, wherein the seatbackfurther comprises an upper seatback base bracket attached to a forwardfacing surface of an upper portion of the seatback frame assembly andthe pair of slide rails are mounted in abutting relation with a forwardfacing surface of the upper seatback base bracket, and wherein theplurality of rail guides are mounted to a rearward facing surface of therear upper seatback slide bracket in a pair of rows on opposite sides ofthe rearward facing surface of the rear upper seatback slide bracketrelative a centerline thereof, each of the rail guides slidinglyengaging one of the slide rails.
 20. The vehicle seating assembly ofclaim 19, wherein the upper seatback base bracket comprises the pair ofslide rails attached to the forward facing surface of the upper portionof the seatback frame assembly on each side relative the centerline ofthe seatback frame assembly.